Excuses
by Fawkes's Tears
Summary: Ginny won't tell anyone how she got hurt. But one failed excuse tips off Hermione, who finds out what's really going on between her best friend and Dean. Warning! Abuse and partial rape takes place in this story.
1. Chapter 1

_a/n I don't own these characters at all. This is just a plotline I came up with fixing this guy's TV color._

"Ron, really, it's nothing, I just got scratched in Care for Magical Creatures. Please, stop doing this," Ginny ordered as Hermione came over to them. She jumped back when she saw Ginny.

"Are you okay? You look hurt," Hermione said, pointing out the incredibly obvious.

"That's because she is. And won't tell me a word about it," Ron said.

"That's because there's nothing to say, _Ronald_. It's nothing, really," Ginny said, and she had really bad timing, because the slash across her cheek began to bleed again. "Crap."

"Don't make me write to Mum, Ginny!"

"Like you would!" She exclaimed. "Don't play in games you don't know the rules of. You'd really have to not be afraid of Mum, like you are not. You'd have to really understand how to translate the situation into proper words, like you do not. Do you even know what 'understand' means?"

Ron stared at her with narrowed eyes. "Fine. I have Hermione to do that for me. You'll do it, won't you Hermione?"

Hermione shook her head. "Tell him rule three, Ginny."

"Never betray your allies," She said, as Dean came passing by. He smiled at Ginny, looked awkwardly at Ron, and kept walking.

"Dean didn't look too concerned there about your injuries," Ron noticed. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"He was coming out of the greenhouses when I was coming from Hagrid's. Saw me and freaked out. Took me ages to convince him I was okay," She smiled, though nothing in her made her want to. Harry came in the portrait hole.

He frowned when he saw Ginny and said, "What happened Ginny? Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you," Ginny snapped. Harry blinked and then turned to Ron and Hermione.

"We need to talk. Let's go for a walk. Just let me go get-" He looked at Ginny. "-my other shoes."

She didn't know what they were talking about, and further she didn't care. In a few minutes, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all out of the common room. Dean came down and pulled her out of her seat.

"I'll be up in a minute, Dean, I just need to get my things," She said. Dean stood still.

"I'll stay here," A sick smile spread across Dean's face as he said the next words: "Wait for you to be done."

"Dean, I'm not going to run," Ginny said under her breath.

He said nothing, but watched her pack up her bookbag. She carried it upstairs to the boy's dormitories, careful to not let anyone see her going up there. Dean followed her, and after checking that his dormitory was empty, went in there. Ginny followed him, dropped her bag next to the door, and crossed her arms, standing in the middle of the room, embarrassed.

"What the bloody hell were you talking to your brother about?"

Ginny sniffed as tears came to her eyes. She could feel it now. The pain. The anger. "Nothing, Dean, nothing that would affect you."

"You're lying!" He said, slapping her across the face. She fell to the ground, tears flooding down her face. "What were you talking about?"

"He asked me how I got hurt! So I told him it happened in Care for Magical Creatures!" She cried, and he grabbed her by the collar and lifted her up. With a cackle, he threw her onto Ron's bed.

"We'll leave the mark on his bed."

"Please, Dean, don't make me do this," She begged, backing away from him as tears and blood mixed on her face.

He said nothing, but the same sick smile from before broke across his face as he slapped her again. She cried out in pain as her head hit the canopy post and she fell off the bed. He picked her up once more by the collar, dropped her on the bed, and slipped her robes off. As she cried harder, trying to squirm away, he ripped her blouse open. She screamed loudly, but he just laughed once more.

She tried to squirm away, but he reached to undo her bra, and she gave up squirming and dashed off the bed. Dean's eyes narrowed and he kicked her in the stomach when he reached her. Her torso already had numerous bruises on it. He dropped her on the bed and scratched hard with all five fingers down her chest and stomach. Very slowly. She cried and cried and screamed and screamed as the pain refused to go away. Dean ripped his hand away and licked up some of the blood that was dripping from her.

As she shut her eyes, he gave up on her bra and started reaching for her skirt. She turned away and tried to crawl away, but the contraction of her stomach hurt, as they were so close to the time of the injury, and she fell onto the bed immediately. He flipped her skirt up. She cried out in embarrassment and tried to crawl away. Dean pulled her back, tying her feet up with her blouse, her hands up with her robes, and tying his tie over her mouth to keep her from being heard as he reached the worst part.

But before that, he needed to torture her more. He bent down and bit down on the inside of her knee, harder and harder until he tasted blood. He did the same to the other knee. Laughing at her muffled screams, he stood straight and spanked her. Each time his hand went down, another muffled cry or whimper echoed through the room. He laughed as he finished and decided that he was ready. Just as he was undoing his belt, the door flew open. Ginny looked up, but then decided against it and tried to hide herself. She was scared. Embarrassed. Worried. She refused to look up.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Dean roared.

"Thought so," A female's voice said. "Professor, he's right here."

Quickly, the voice rushed over and helped Ginny stand. Whoever it was gasped immediately. She looked up to see Hermione untying Dean's tie from over Ginny's mouth.

"I bet that hurts," Hermione gasped as she untied her hands.

"You would win your money," Ginny whimpered. Hermione covered her with the robes and put an arm around her.

"Why haven't you told anyone before?"

"Would you?" Ginny mumbled, taking her blouse from Hermione. She looked at her imploringly. "Please don't tell anyone else. Ron would-" She started crying harder, and Hermione assured her she wouldn't tell anyone. "How did you know what was happening?"

"Well, I didn't know he was- you know- but I did think he was the one hurting you," Hermione said.

"Yes, but how?"

Hermione shrugged and said simply, "Fifth year Gryffindors have Care for Magical Creatures two classes after we have Herbology. If you didn't want to have people find out, you should have brushed up on your excuses."

Professor McGonagall came back in. She looked at Ginny, half angry, half concerned, and asked, "Are you all right?"

"Yes, Professor," Ginny said quietly, though she most certainly was not.

"Has this been going on for long?"

"Long enough," She sniffed.

"I'm very ashamed of you for not telling sooner, Miss Weasley."

"I'm sorry, Professor," Ginny said in a whisper, her head hung.

"You better go to the hospital wing. Those cuts look nasty," McGonagall said. Ginny shook her head.

"No, I can't go. I don't want anyone to have any suspicion of anything. I'm not going to the hospital wing," She said.

"Yes you are, Miss Weasley."

"Where's Dean?"

"For one, he is the least of your concerns, but I will humor you and tell you that he is currently in Professor Dumbledore's office. I suspect him to be there for quite a while. We are most likely going to expel him for this," McGonagall said. Ginny's head sprang up.

"No. No, Professor, he'll kill me. Please, don't expel him," She begged. Hermione sighed as McGonagall stared at Ginny like she was insane.

"Miss Weasley, his expulsion is for the safety of you and your peers. We can't have someone walking around in this school abusing and raping innocent girls. He will not be able to touch you once his expulsion is confirmed, which should only take a matter of minutes considering the seriousness of what he did," McGonagall looked at her and sighed. "I do urge you to be more careful next time, Miss Weasley. Though I am very, very sorry for what has happened. Miss Granger, could you please escort her to the hospital wing?"

Hermione nodded and helped Ginny. But Ginny wouldn't budge. "Professor, you won't- you won't tell my parents about this, will you?"

They both looked at Professor McGonagall, who sighed, "I will have to get back to you on that."


	2. Chapter 2

"What happened to you?" Madam Pomphrey asked. Ginny sniffed. It had been hard to get through the Gryffindor common room for three reasons. One, she was crying, covered in blood, and being guided by Hermione. Two, they had all just seen Dean being escorted away by McGonagall, and her return without him. Three, she had been coming out of the boy's dormitories. She was now concerned, because the story would most likely make its way towards Ron.

Hermione walked up to Madam Pomphrey and whispered something into her ear. She gasped and rushed off to go get something. Hermione stroked Ginny's shoulder.

"She's getting you a Sleeping Draught," Hermione explained quietly. "So you won't have to feel the pain when your injuries are first healing."

"Ron's going to hear. And Harry too. They share a dormitory with Dean, they'll find out first why he's missing," She cried. "I don't want them to find out, they'll be so disappointed in me. And they might tell Mum. If she finds out-"

"Shh," Hermione said softly. "I know, Ginny, don't get worked up. I'll solve whatever goes on with Ron. You won't have to say a word to him about the subject, nor hear a word. I will take care of it, I promise you."

Madam Pomphrey came back. She handed Ginny a few pills and a glass of water, then set a goblet down on the bedside table. "Take these." Ginny swallowed the pills. "And change into these." She said, handing her a pair of pajamas. "Here's a washcloth. There's blood seeping through your robes. After that, take the potion."

"Thank you, Madam Pomphrey," Ginny said. She took off the robes, wiped the blood up, and changed into the pajamas. After assuring Hermione she would be okay, she drank the whole goblet in one gulp and almost instantaneously fell asleep.

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"Hey, did you hear what happened to that Dean Thomas guy?"

"Didn't he get expelled?"

"Yeah, do you know why? He raped Ginny Weasley. Beat the shit out of her too. Holy crap, shut up, that's her brother!"

Ron looked at the two whispering Ravenclaws for only a second before moving on. He sat down at the table next to Harry, across from Hermione, feeling again like everyone was watching him. Harry and Hermione weren't acting oddly though. Ron looked at them. "You guys didn't do anything out of the ordinary, did you?"

"No, why do you ask?" Harry asked.

"Everyone's staring at me like they do when you do something," He responded. Harry and Hermione both shrugged. Ron looked over at Harry again. "Did you see Dean at all last night? I haven't seen Ginny since last night in the common room, either, and it's not like her to sleep late _or _miss breakfast."

Harry looked at him. "I heard Dean got expelled, mate."

Hermione laughed. "You're not actually believing those ridiculous rumors, are you?"

"You don't believe he was expelled?"

"Of course I do, but not because he helped Peeves throw statues out the window or because he wiped his shoe on Flitwick's face."

"Why do you think he got expelled then?"

"Dunno." She shrugged.

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Ginny woke up in the hospital wing on Saturday afternoon. She had a bandage over her cheek and on the side of her forehead, next to her eyebrow. Her stomach was bandaged, as were her knees. She lay there for a moment, tears falling gently down her face.

At least once, just once, he hadn't violated her. She felt so dirty every time afterward. Covered in blood. Tears. Bruises. It was just too much. She was happy Hermione had discovered what was happening. But then she was scared. By now, someone must know what had happened. It only took two seconds for a story to spread at Hogwarts. By the time six people knew, the story would be altered. Either Dean would get expelled for some different reason, or something worse for her. She really hoped that they just twisted Dean's side. She really hoped she wasn't part of the rumor. She just wanted out. She had been dealing with it for weeks. The last thing she needed was a thousand reminders that it had happened.

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"Hermione, you knew didn't you?" Ron yelled, pushing her into a chair, then apologizing a thousand times and saying he didn't mean to push her. It only took her a second to know what he was talking about.

"I'm the one who told McGonagall and had something done," Hermione said quietly, hoping that he was talking about what she thought he was.

"How could she be so goddamn STUPID?!" He yelled, kicking the table. "I thought she was smarter than to keep secrets like that."

"Ron, she is smart. She was just scared. And who wouldn't be in that situation?"

Ron sat down, burying his face in his hands. A minute later when he emerged, he had tears on his face. "My sister. Raped. Abused. Hermione, how could she let this happen to her?"

"It's not something that she could have stopped without getting more hurt. Sometimes fear makes you do stupid stuff," She said. Ron sat there, staring at her.

"Where is she?"

"You can't see her, Ron, this is traumatic enough, she doesn't need to know that you're angry at her. Besides, Madam Pomphrey gave her a Sleeping Draught to calm her down, she's probably out cold."

He stood up and started walking away. Hermione stood and chased after him. "Where are you going?"

"I'm writing Mum."

"Over my dead body, get back there," Hermione said, taking his collar. "You absolutely cannot write your mother about this. Do you have any idea what she would do if she knew Ginny was raped by Dean? Ron, she would be a wreck, which would only torture Ginny more and be a constant reminder of what happened. You don't want that to happen, do you?"

"Then what the hell am I supposed to do? I can't talk to Ginny, I can't write to Mum," he complained. Hermione sighed.

"I dunno, go punch things. I'm going to go see if Ginny's awake," She looked at him. "Will you be okay?"

"Yeah. Fine," He croaked. As she walked off, he called after her, "Tell me how Ginny is, okay? And tell her…that I'm sorry."

"I will."

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"Ginny, how are you, sweetie?" Hermione asked, sitting on the edge of her bed. She had the covers tight up to her chin, and tears were rolling down her face.

"How many people know?"

Hermione sighed, stroking her hair. "Just about everyone." Ginny closed her eyes and let out a loud whimper. Hermione wiped a tear away. "Ron wants to know how you're doing. He's worried about you, and sorry for what happened to you."

"Worried about me, sure."

"He is, Ginny. I had to stop him from writing your mother. He's really serious about this. Ginny, he's scared. He's not angry."

"Ron's always angry!"

"Because it's the only way he knows how to show he's upset. Ginny, he really loves you."

Ginny was silent for a second. "I suppose McGonagall hasn't come to a decision about telling my parents?"

"I'm sure you'd be the first to know if she did," Hermione said softly. "Are you in pain?" Ginny nodded. "Do your bruises hurt?"

Ginny shook her head. "It doesn't hurt where I'm bandaged up."

"I understand," She felt herself crying. "Another traumatic year at Hogwarts for you, isn't it?"

"At least I didn't hurt anyone else this time. At least it was all Dean's fault," She said. "I hate him. He's ruined my life."

"Sweetie, you mustn't think that," Hermione said. "It's not true. Your life cannot be ruined at the age of fifteen. Your whole life is still ahead of you."

Hermione looked up as someone suddenly appeared in the doorway. "Hello, Professor."

McGonagall nodded. "Hello, Miss Granger." Ginny turned to look at McGonagall. "Miss Weasley."

"Is everything all right, Professor?" Ginny asked, sniffing.

"Miss Granger, could you please excuse us for a moment?"

"Yes, Professor," McGonagall sat in the chair next to Ginny's bed. Ginny sniffed and looked up at her.

"Miss Weasley, I believe it is crucial your parents are alerted of this situation."

Ginny nodded, but tears came to her eyes nonetheless. "I understand."

"I hope you do. I know this has been horrible, but your parents deserve to know."

"Yeah, they do," Ginny whispered.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Weasley," She said once more. "I'll leave you alone."

"Thank you Professor," Though she didn't know what exactly she had done to be thanked.

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Hermione walked into the common room to see Ron sitting in a chair turned to face the fireplace. The chair was close to begin with, but he was leaning forward, and the fire blended with the color of his hair and reflected off his eyes. Hermione came up behind him and he threw a piece of paper into the thriving fire.

"Hello, Ron."

"How is she?"

"Scared. Hurt. Confused," She summarized. "And looking a bit cynical."

"Who the hell could blame her?" Ron mumbled, throwing something else into the fireplace, this time something wooden. They sat in silence as it caught on fire and watched as it blackened, starting at the corners and working its way to the middle. "Have you heard anything of how Dumbledore and McGonagall are dealing with this?"

"McGonagall is writing your parents to tell them and other than that I don't really know what they can do," She said. "Do you often burn things when you're angry?"

"I guess," He mumbled, pulling a crumpled up piece of parchment out from his backpack. As he threw it into the fire, his eyes grew wide. "I'm just pretending it's that fucker who raped my sister. I want him to burn, Hermione. I want him to suffer. Suffer for what he did to my baby sister."

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"Ginny, are you awake?"

"Oh my god, please don't tell me you heard," Ginny whined, covering her face with the blankets. He walked over and gently tugged them out of her hands.

"Let me see your face, Ginny," He said. She held the covers tighter and higher over her face. "Please, Ginny."

She slowly moved the covers down so her eyes were showing. He shook his head, and she threw the covers off of her. "Happy?"

"Why didn't you tell anyone this was happening, Ginny?"

"I was afraid."

"Of what?"

"Of Dean finding out that I told. What he would do to me. Of people finding out. I was afraid of what would happen when my parents found out, when Ron found out, hell when any of my brothers found out!" She sniffed. "And I was afraid of what you would be like."

He snorted. "You should've seen me when I found out. I was wondering why you weren't at Quidditch practice and Demelza told me. Threw a basic fit. Was scared enough that you were in the hospital wing, I mean, the only times you've been in here it was because of me and because of Tom Riddle's diary."

Ginny said nothing. She didn't even look at Harry. Finally, she sighed and repeated, "Scared?"

"Scared like all hell broke loose. You're always so strong. I couldn't bear to think of what could have happened to you to make you come get medical attention."

She let out a hollow chuckle. "_I_ didn't even want to come here. Hermione and McGonagall made me. I was fine pretending like it never happened. But they said my injuries looked bad and I wasn't exactly in the arguing mood at the moment."

"Have your parents been told?"

"Better believe it. They're going to flip out," She said, sniffing. "Bet they're on their way over here right now."

"McGonagall won't let that happen. She's all for family, but you've got to keep going a normal life."

"Normal? Harry, people will be staring at me like I have seven eyes and six arms!" Ginny sniffed, finally looking at him. "I can't have a normal life after this, Harry, who could? I really thought I could trust Dean! Now…I just don't know who to trust." She fell back onto the pillows. Harry stroked her hair.

"Hey, Gin, calm down, love. Not all guys are like Dean. There's got to be a good bloke out there. And this whole thing will blow over," Harry assured her. Ginny snorted.

"Yeah, because people often forget losing their virginity bound, gagged, and lying on a bed with tears streaming down their faces. Merlin, I never imagined actually wishing someone would walk in on me when I had my first time," She said. Harry shook his head, a fierce look on his face.

"Rape doesn't count, love, you know that for sure. It won't be your first time until you enjoy it," He said, smiling.

"How do you know I didn't enjoy that?"

"Because you're crying," He said simply. "You don't cry when you're happy, Ginny, you barely cry when you're sad." He smiled again. "Just try not to base you opinion on all guys off Dean. You'll have a hell of a time getting those grandchildren your mother wants."

"She won't get a single fucking one from the way this is going," Ginny said. "This hasn't even begun."


	3. Chapter 3

Ginny was released from the hospital wing after Madam Pomphrey convinced her it was right. The matron had told her that by now all the pain she was feeling was psychological, and if she didn't face the problem it would never go away. Though dreading she agreed to such a thing, Ginny had left the day after that discussion. It was only one week after Hermione had caught Dean, and the school still wasn't over it. So when Ginny sauntered into the Great Hall, her heart pounding, an astounding quietness overtook the hall. The students stared at her and whispered behind their hands, talking to their friends while shooting sympathetic looks at Ginny. She walked over to her friends.

"Tell me right now," she ordered. "What are they saying about me?"

Her friends looked in between each other. Sabol sighed and spoke first. "Well," she said. "The word is that you got raped by Dean and he beat the living hell out of you. Then it's rumoured that Ron and Harry heard something coming from the dormitory and went up to go check it out and found you. Is it true?"

Ginny looked down at her empty plate and knew that it would stay that way for a long time. "Yes," she sighed. "It is true."

Reece put her hand on top of Ginny's. "Why didn't you tell anyone, Ginny?" She asked. "Why did you just let that jerk do that to you?"

"He monitored everything I did," said Ginny, clearing her throat. "so it was difficult to tell anyone without raising his suspicion." She poured some pumpkin juice into her goblet. "What about Professor Dumbledore? What's he been doing about this?"

"Making sure no one pesters you about it," said Reece sheepishly. "He wants to make sure you stay comfortable. It's a big scandal, you know. Nothing like this- nothing like this has ever happened before."

"Great!" exclaimed Ginny. "So I'm the big freak that let this happen to her!"

Reece and Sabol exchanged a look. "Ginny, this isn't your fault," said Sabol. "Nobody has ever tried to- you know- anyone in the history of Hogwarts."

"Yeah," Reece agreed. "It's Dean that was the big freak that wanted to rape someone. You just- happened to be that someone…"

Ginny rolled her eyes and stared down the table. Everyone seemed to be staring at her out of the corner of their eye. She stood and excused herself to go get her books. Although she was fully aware someone was following her, she didn't look around to see who it was until they called her name.

"Ginny!"

It was a girl's voice, and she knew it. Tears welled up in her eyes, and Ginny didn't fight them, knowing that she was safe to cry now.

"What, Hermione?"

"Where are you going?"

"To go get my fucking books so I can go to fucking class so I can just- leave me alone, Hermione!" Ginny roared, stamping her foot.

Hermione shook her head. "I don't think I will. There's something I need to tell you. Now might not be the ideal time, but-"

"Nothing can upset me more right now, so just spill it," Ginny sighed.

"Dean is going to have an expulsion hearing to see if they are going to snap his wand or send him to a different school. You're- you have to testify, Ginny, they won't-"

"I know, Hermione," Ginny sighed. "Can I wear a bag over my head?"

"Ginny," Hermione chided. Tears came to Ginny's eyes and she buried her face in her hands.

"What am I supposed to do, Hermione? I want to forget about this but I'll never be able to! It took all my power and the twins to stop Mum from coming down here and smothering me, and it took Mum and me both to stop my brothers and my father from personally killing Dean! What am I supposed to do?"

Hermione put her hand on Ginny's shoulder. "I wish I could answer that."

* * *

The rest of the week was spent with Ginny getting stared at everywhere she went. Her teachers let her slide by easier than the rest of the class. Her classmates whispered to each other about her behind their hands. Ron and Harry could be found sleeping in the common room each night until McGonagall was able to get the new mattresses they demanded. The former had walked into his dormitory one night to find blood all over his sheets. When he found out that night that it was his sister's blood, he never wanted to sleep in that room again. Harry was terrified at what might have happened on his bed.

But at least they were sleeping. Ginny could not get to sleep at all, and when she could, she would awaken screaming from a nightmare. These came to the point where she placed Silencing charms on her bed every day so she did not wake up her roommates. She quickly grew used to the rumours and staring and pointing and whispering. Her main developing habit was easily daydreaming. She would randomly stare into space and completely forget anything going on around her.

None of her professors minded, under the impression that Dean had only once succeeded in rape, or, in McGonagall's case, knowing how serious the problem had been. So she often let her thoughts overtake her consciousness until Sabol shoved her to inform her that the bell had just rung. She quickly finished her work, also, which allowed her more time to daydream.

As the hearing pulled closer and closer, Ginny turned into a completely different person. She became jumpy and panicky. At any sudden sound, no matter what the volume, she would jump halfway out of her trainers and huddle backwards. No one wanted to know why the latter action was performed so ritually, but it was. All the time.

And finally, the day came. The day that they had all dreaded. Ginny was allowed to skip every single one of her classes that day and the next to be taken to the hearing, along with Hermione, who was an important witness. McGonagall escorted them to the Ministry, where the school governors had assembles and where numerous concerned parents had taken roles as onlookers.

Ginny really wished Hermione had let her bring the bag.

_a/n sorry for the short chapter and long wait, but I am homeless and unemployed. Writing is not exactly my top priority as of late._


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